- Cole Palmer grabbed the equaliser for Chelsea in a thrilling 4-4 draw with City
- The 21-year-old has flourished for the Blues since completing his £42.5m move
- Why we should get excited about Cole Palmer – Listen here to It’s All Coming Up
Gareth Southgate is utilising the England Under 21 talent pool again by selecting Cole Palmer and Rico Lewis for this camp’s European Championship qualifiers.
Both graduates of Manchester City’s academy, the pair have been given debut call ups to the seniors after impressing this season.
Palmer is flourishing after a £42.5million move away from City to Chelsea, scoring a dramatic late equaliser from the spot against his old club in Sunday’s pulsating 4-4 draw at Stamford Bridge.
The 21-year-old’s decision to leave the Etihad Stadium has already been vindicated, with more Premier League starts and four goals to his name.
Lewis has 12 league starts under his belt – with the pair amassing just 21 between them – but has earned consistent praise from Pep Guardiola for his versatility and maturity.
Performances in the Champions League will have been enough for Southgate to promote the 18-year-old, who excelled during always trips to RB Leipzig and Young Boys.
There had been growing calls for the youngsters to be handed a chance at senior level. With England already qualified for next summer’s Euros, Southgate has taken the chance to look closely at their development.
The England boss was pictured greeting both players in the St George’s Park gym during last month’s camp and they could now be set for debuts against either Malta or North Macedonia.
Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa is the third player set for a maiden England cap following Southgate’s injury-enforced reshuffle.
The 26-year-old has been in brilliant form for Unai Emery’s Champions League chasers and comes in for Brighton skipper Lewis Dunk, who picked up an injury in the Seagull’s 2-0 Europa League win against Ajax last Thursday.
Konsa made seven appearances for the U21s but has been absent from the international scene since his last cap in 2018.
Lee Carsley’s U21s will call up replacements before their Euro 2025 qualifiers with Serbia and Northern Ireland, as the defending champions look to bounce back from a shock defeat by Ukraine last month.
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
